What You Can Rent If You Earn the Median Income in the 5 Southeast PA Counties
An example from each county of apartments and homes for rent for around 30 percent of the median household income.
TREND image via HomeStarr Realty
The historic rule of thumb is that a household should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. Anything above that makes a household “cost-burdened.”
For this roundup, we took the 2016 Census Bureau median household income in each of the five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties, multiplied it by 0.3 and divided the result by 12 to come up with the target monthly rent. Each of the houses and apartments shown below rents for that figure or close enough to it.
Bucks County (MHI: $79,936): 14 Oscar Hammerstein Way, New Hope (above) | 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,095 square feet, $2,000 per month. No pets.
This bi-level contemporary home in the Village 2 subdivision “backs up to [a] serene wooded area.” It features an updated kitchen, updated bathrooms and a soaring living room with a spiral staircase leading to the upper-level master suite, which has its own balcony. The development this is part of has a raft of amenities, including a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts and a playground for the kids.
This unit will be open for showings starting June 25th.
14 Oscar Hammerstein Way, New Hope, Pa. 18938 [Hassan Paige | HomeStarr Realty via Zillow]
Bright MLS image via Dickerman Team Real Estate
Chester County (MHI: $92,407): 609 Whiteland Hunt Rd., Downingtown | 3 beds, 2 full, 1 half baths, 2,267 square feet, $2,500 per month. Contact agent about pets.
More income means more choices, and Chester County has the highest median household income in the region. That means a median-income renter can choose to rent a place like this beautiful classic late-1950s rancher on a one-acre wooded lot. Its family room, with its stone fireplace, beamed cathedral ceiling and walls of large windows, is a real looker, and its sunken living room has an attractive brick fireplace and bay window. The kitchen has the latest appliances and bar seating in addition to its own dining area, and there’s both a patio off the kitchen and a rear deck accessible from two of the three bedrooms. Let’s be honest here: the good life for rent doesn’t get much better than this impeccably maintained home.
609 Whiteland Hunt Rd., Downingtown, Pa. 19355 [Leanna Dickerman | Dickerman Team Real Estate | Keller Williams Realty]
Photo: Landlord via Zillow
Delaware County (MHI: $67,950): 347 Saybrook Lane, Wallingford | 2 beds, 2 full, 1 half baths, 1,512 square feet, $1,695 per month. Cats welcome.
This attractive, well-maintained and -equipped townhouse is located in a tranquil townhouse community in one of Delaware County’s best school districts. It has an updated eat-in kitchen, gleaming hardwood floors (tile in the kitchen and bathrooms), and a master suite with walk-in closet and en suite bathroom. The living room and patio make a great indoor-outdoor entertaining combo, and the development also has a clubhouse, pool and tennis courts for recreation and relaxation.
347 Saybrook Lane, Wallingford, Pa. 19086 [Paul Costello (landlord) via Zillow]
Bright MLS image via Brett Furman Group
Montgomery County (MHI: $84,113): 37 Thomas Ave., Bryn Mawr | 3 beds, 1 full, 1 half baths, 1,444 square feet, $2,050 per month. Contact agent about pets.
Walkable living on the Main Line doesn’t get more convenient than this totally refreshed twin just off Lancaster Avenue and the heart of Bryn Mawr: You can walk to the library, shops, theater, restaurants and SEPTA Regional Rail. This classic twin got a contemporary makeover on the inside that opened up its main floor, installed a stylish pendant light in the living room, exposed the living room’s brick wall and opened up its all-new kitchen. Energy-saving ceiling fans grace the living room and all the bedrooms, and the master suite occupies the entire third floor and has its own half bath. (The second-floor full bath has full tile walls, by the way.) Of course, since you’re in the ‘burbs, walkability has its limits, and this home also has a detached two-car garage with electricity in its backyard.
37 Thomas Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010 [Brett Furman | Brett Furman Group | RE/MAX Classic]
Bright MLS image via Alpha Realty Group
Philadelphia (MHI: $41,449): 2709 S. 76th St., #2, Eastwick | 2 beds, 1 bath, 1,860 square feet, $1,100 per month. Contact agent about pets.
Less money may not mean fewer choices, but it will limit where you can rent: Center City is off limits to a household earning the Philadelphia median. But if you work at the United States Postal Service or around Philadelphia International Airport, this rehabbed unit in the Penrose Park subdivision has both the location you’re looking for and the amenities you need. It has an open-plan living/dining room, a totally up-to-date kitchen and bathroom, and roomy bedrooms. Laundry facilities for each of this rowhouse’s two units are in its basement, where you can also park your car in its garage. SEPTA’s Route 36 trolley stops around the corner from you, and Lindbergh Boulevard and I-95 are both close at hand.
2709 S. 76th St. #2, Philadelphia, Pa. 19153 [Michael Esposito Jr. | Alpha Realty Group]
